


Unchained

by myrthrilmercury



Category: Mystery Science Theater 3000
Genre: Aftercare, BDSM, Begging, Body Worship, Come Shot, Crossdressing, Dirty Talk, Dom/sub, Established Relationship, Hand Jobs, Humor, Id Fic, Kink Negotiation, M/M, Musical References, Oral Sex, Power Exchange, Power Play, Safewords, Self-Acceptance, Self-Discovery, Sexual Roleplay, Spanking, Tie Kink, Under-negotiated Kink, quite literally in some cases
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-18
Updated: 2016-06-18
Packaged: 2018-07-15 18:31:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,625
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7233883
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/myrthrilmercury/pseuds/myrthrilmercury
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Some time after the events in "Edge of Madness," Mike gets what he wants, and Joel learns to give in.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Unchained

**Author's Note:**

  * For [yearofmeteors](https://archiveofourown.org/users/yearofmeteors/gifts).



_“A man cannot destroy the savage in him by denying its impulses. The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it.” –Sir George Carew, “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde”_  
***  
“Workin’ 9 to 5, what a way to make a LIVIIIINNNGGG…”

At this point, it was no longer clear who originally had the idea for the _9 to 5_ sketch to go with that week’s experiment, but there they all were. Gypsy had begged so earnestly for the Dolly Parton role that there was really no way Joel could refuse her. Besides, she looked pretty cute in the blonde wig. Even so, Joel was certain there had been far less screeching from Dolly’s character in the movie.

Mike was a natural fit for the Jane Fonda part, but his choice of wardrobe was rather questionable. The white blouse and grey pencil skirt were one thing, but the skirt hugged his hips a little too closely, which just made the fishnet stockings stand out much more than they already did. Then again, these stockings had been a sudden substitution, as Mike had discovered a run in the black stockings shortly before he was about to put them on. But the skirt, the fishnets, and the black pumps were rather…distracting. Joel couldn’t help but wonder what was going through Mike’s mind when he put the outfit together.

Well, at least he wasn’t Lily Tomlin. That was Crow. Everyone was originally going to give Tom the role until Mike pointed out that Tom would make a better Roz, as he would be very convincing as a conniving backstabber. Tom resented that remark, but must have realized that Mike was right, since he ended up going along with it.

Naturally, the villain part fell to Joel. It seemed that all of them did recently whenever they were doing various sketches. Mike always insisted that Joel pulled off the villain persona extremely well. One time when they were alone, Mike had told Joel that his whole personality seemed to change whenever he played a villain. Normally, there was a great deal of thought and preparation that went into a role, but Joel seemed to be able to slip in and out of the persona; almost like putting on a pair of gloves.

Maybe Mike was onto something. Joel couldn’t quite figure out why or describe it, but playing villains made him feel…different, somehow. In a way, it was actually like he was in control of his life for a change. 

Well, there was no time to think about it now. There was an awkward pause and several questioning glances among the group after Gypsy finished her musical number.

Finally, Mike broke the ice. “Uh…what do you think, sirs?”

Clayton’s arms were crossed across his chest, and the expression on his face was a cross between disbelief and contempt. Frank stared at them with heavy-lidded eyes, expressionless.

“You really couldn’t come up with something referencing anything more recent than a 30-year-old movie?” Clayton asked disdainfully.

“Well, there was the musical six years ago…” Mike noted with a slight shrug.

“They made a musical out of _Carrie,_ for chrissakes. That doesn’t necessarily make it any good.” Clayton glanced over at his nearly-catatonic assistant. “Frank, your thoughts?”

Frank pondered the question for a few moments before holding up his right hand in the “OK” symbol. “It stinks.”

Tom broke his silence. “Wait, weren’t we forgetting something?” 

“Oh yeah!” Crow perked up. “We hold Joel captive! Weren’t we gonna tie him to that chair? Where’s the rope?” With that, Gypsy ran off.

Joel held up both hands in sudden panic. “Wait, I never agreed to—” Things began looking much worse when Gypsy reappeared with a rope coil in her mouth. Crow had located a folding chair and was carrying it over to the group.

Frank raised an eyebrow in sudden fascination. “On second thought, we may want to see how this ends.”

“Gimme that.” Mike snatched the rope out of Gypsy’s mouth as a wicked grin crossed his face. After a few initial mishaps, Crow had figured out how the folding chair opened, and slammed it down on the ground.

“Uh…” Joel’s eyes nervously darted across the faces of the oncoming mob. “First off, nobody told me this would happen, nor did I agree to it. Second…what were you planning on doing to me?”

The ‘bots exchanged glances as they realized they had not thought that far ahead. Mike, however, was threading the rope between his hands, still grinning diabolically as for a brief instant he had _that_ gleam in his eyes, when he knew exactly what he wanted and would resort to absolutely any means necessary to take it, which sometimes led Joel to do things that went against his better judgment.

Gypsy’s eye flashed for a brief instant as she made her decision. “HERE COMES THE TICKLE MONSTER!” With that, she and the other ‘bots lunged towards Joel.

Joel had never been so happy to hear the movie sign alarm since…well, ever. 

While Crow and Tom took their normal seats in the theater, Mike stood by the doorway for a few moments as he pulled off the wig and rearranged his hair to look somewhat normal. Joel initially began heading to his seat before getting an idea. He backtracked over to Mike and leaned in close to whisper into Mike’s ear.

“Come by my room after the movie in that outfit.”

Mike chuckled knowingly, and Joel was pretty sure from his tone that Mike was smiling, even though Mike’s face was obscured by the darkness.  
***  
Joel, having since changed back into his suit from the sketch, sat spreadeagled on the edge of the bed staring at the floor, simultaneously wondering what was taking Mike so long and also what the hell was wrong with himself. There had been a fair amount of normal sex, which was perfectly fine with him. It was probably a good thing they hadn’t done anything in costume recently, since down that path appeared to lay madness. 

Normal sex was just that, normal. But if one or both of them began roleplaying, costumes or no, things began to get dangerous.

It wasn’t always that way. Joel had initiated several of these encounters ever since the embers had begun to smolder after the “Mad Men” sketch went awry. 

But there was something inside him, something that wasn’t really him. His mind screamed no, but his body—and whatever that was within the deepest recesses of his soul—screamed yes.

The door opened and in came Mike, back in the outfit but sans wig. He closed and locked the door behind him before leaning back against it, eyeing Joel expectantly. “You wanted to see me, sir?” 

Apparently they were starting right away. This was new. “I received an email from sales saying they hadn’t received the contract paperwork for our new client. I specifically told you to send that to them.” 

“I sent it yesterday.” As always, Mike would make Joel work for it. 

“And it didn’t occur to you that they might need it sooner than that?” 

Mike took a few steps forward and crossed his arms over his chest, cocking his head to one side. “If they needed it any sooner, they should have asked for it, then.”

“You’ve got some nerve, you know that?” Joel pushed himself off of the bed and walked over to Mike so that they were both only standing a few inches away from one another. “Pulling all this before your annual review? Just how well do you think you did on it, anyway?”

“Why wouldn’t I have done well on it?” Defiant as always, Mike put his hands on his hips while that pesky smile crossed his face, the one that always revealed itself when he knew he was outmaneuvering Joel. Mike was never sure what was more fun: throwing Joel for a loop, or seeing what he would come up with in response.

However, Joel was ready. “Well, you haven’t done anything on time, your coworkers don’t like you, and you can’t make a decent cup of coffee. Give me one good reason I shouldn’t fire you.” 

Mike’s expression was cunning, almost wicked. “Because you _need_ me. Who do you think keeps this place running while you’re gone?”

“What I need is for you to start listening to me for a change.” It wasn’t always easy to get a good read on Mike whenever he started getting cocky, but it was now clear that Mike was testing Joel; trying to see just how far he could push him. But…was he really trying to take things where they seemed to be heading? 

There was only one way to find out. 

While keeping his gaze fixed on Mike, Joel stepped over to the chair in the corner of the room before removing his tie and dropping it onto the seat. “Pick that up.”

Mike blinked in confusion.

“I _said,_ pick that up.” Joel’s tone was stern now, his pulse quickening as the dormant essence inside began to stir, its presence empowering and disquieting at the same time. 

Mike gave Joel one last quick glance before heading over to the chair and reaching for the tie. Once Mike was bent over with the tie in hand, Joel raised his arm and quickly brought it down, striking Mike’s ass with his open hand.

Joel wasn’t too surprised when Mike recoiled at the sudden blow, but didn’t expect a smiling Mike to turn his head and chuckle.

“What’s so funny?” 

Mike grinned a little. “I didn’t think you’d actually do it.” 

Chagrined, Joel gave Mike a few more swats before recomposing himself. “Stay down there. Top off.”

The expression on Mike’s face was more serious and subdued before looking back down as he began unbuttoning the blouse, hands occasionally fumbling whenever the material bunched up in his hands. Joel splayed his fingers across the hem of the skirt, idly toying with it until Mike pulled the blouse over his head and pulled his arms out of the sleeves before discarding it onto the floor. 

Joel lifted the skirt and placed the material flat against the small of Mike’s back, straightening it out with his fingers as he studied the garter belt holding the fishnets in place. It would have looked much better with the black stockings, but it couldn’t be helped. The choice of black nylon bikini briefs was an interesting one, though. Mike was probably going for comfort with those, which made his choice of black satin panties back during the “Mad Men” sketch that much more intriguing. Nylon briefs or no, however, Joel still liked the black stockings much better.

“Next time you dress like this for a sketch, I want you back in black stockings. Do you understand?”

“Yes, sir.”

_Sir._

The utterance sent a jolt through Joel that threatened to rend him asunder as he contemplated the implications. Mike was _offering himself;_ ready to surrender to any of Joel’s inclinations without a second thought.

For whatever reason, that thought spurred Joel to _really_ begin laying into Mike, never ceasing the strikes as he zoned out and developed a rhythm, thrilling at the compliance as Mike barely betrayed his pain at the mistreatment; remaining almost completely motionless with his head down. 

Joel was heaving now as he regained his bearings, partially from the exertion, but mostly due to the comedown and realization of the head trip he head been on. After questioning what it was that had just come over him, he looked down at Mike. Mike’s breathing was slow, but ragged. If he was in any pain from earlier, he wasn’t showing it. 

Mike seemed to have enjoyed it, judging by the fact that he was now semi-hard. Even so, Joel couldn’t help but wonder if maybe he had gone a bit too far. Whatever that was that came over him always threatened to overpower him as the metamorphosis progressed; that sensation that was as empowering as it was arousing…yet, at the same time, frightening; that foreign persona he wasn’t sure he wanted to face. 

Joel realized he was going off on a mental tangent when Mike turned his head and pushed the front of his body over slightly in a cross between confusion and arousal. Joel briefly scolded himself, hating the fact that he was off guard.

It was time to get back in charge. Showing vulnerability now would be his undoing. 

“Well?” Joel returned to the stern tone of voice. “Are you ready to start listening to me?”

The change in Mike’s face implied a certain understanding, perhaps even yearning, as he edged back, as if cowering in anticipation. “Yes, sir.” 

Mike’s expression somehow put Joel more at ease, and began to give him a few ideas as well. “Good. You can stand up now.” Mike, appearing relieved to be out of the previous position, stood and turned to face Joel. Joel watched Mike intently as he slowly sat down in the chair before speaking again.

“Are you sorry for being a little brat?”

“Yes, sir. It will never happen again. I’m sorry.”

“Prove it.” It wasn’t so much of an order as it was a prompt, since Mike had the imagination to keep things interesting. After wondering momentarily what Mike would come up with, Joel received his answer when Mike knelt down in front of him and reached over to undo his pants.

“Now just a minute.” Joel grabbed Mike’s wrists, stopping Mike before his hands could reach their intended destination. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“Uh…” Mike paused for a few moments in confusion. “Well, if it’s all right with you, I was going to suck your cock…”

Was that all? Where was the fun in that? Sure, Mike was an incredible cocksucker, but now that Joel had Mike right where he wanted him, he felt himself teetering on the edge, ready to surrender to the primal urges of whatever that other existence was, to face his apprehension head on and take that leap of faith. 

“Not just yet,” Joel instructed, letting go of his inhibitions. “I want you to undress me first.” He was beginning to see no harm in letting the inner demon out of its cage. _“Take your time.”_

Mike’s demeanor suddenly changed as he smiled slyly, then placed his fingertips on both sides of Joel’s neck, dragging them back and forth across the skin for a few moments before undoing the top button on the dress shirt. Now he was staring right into Joel’s eyes as he edged closer while exposing the skin under the next three buttons, spreading his fingers across the skin again before arching forward and gliding his tongue up the flesh, chuckling softly when he felt Joel shiver. 

Their eyes met again as Mike briefly glanced upwards, eyes brimming with desire, gazing almost knowingly at Joel before slithering back down, kissing his way down the newly exposed skin as he undid each button, then ever so slightly brushing his lips back across the skin before moving down.

It wasn’t just the element of surprise, nor the sensations that Mike was eliciting. Something else had to be going on. How else could Joel explain how greatly he was becoming unhinged at every touch, or why his more sordid impulses were now clawing at his insides, desperately trying to escape? 

Mike was all too eager to draw it out as he made the agonizing decision to ignore everything below the waist completely in favor of scratching his nails down and across the sides of Joel’s thighs; letting the sensation bristle through the cotton as he clawed his way down before he leaned over and cradled the other man’s right calf in his arms, reverently laying his cheek on the shinbone before sliding his head and hands down and across the leather of the dress shoe.

Joel stifled a gasp as he suddenly realized that he was being _worshiped._ Of course he had wished Mike would cut to the chase, but now, the sight of Mike grazing his face against the leather while weaving his fingers through the shoelaces was almost enough to destroy him as he realized the ramifications of what was happening. 

When the shoes and dress socks were removed and set aside, the subsequent kneading against the ankles felt exquisite; both through the sensations elicited by Mike’s hands and the fire blazing through his soul as Joel realized that this was exactly what he had craved: to lose control so that he could seize it; namely, by sacrificing himself to the inner demon in order to seize the reins much tighter after reclaiming them.

Watching Mike writhe on the floor as the other man traced his lips and tongue up and down the calves and feet was almost enough to make him come right then and there. But then Mike raised his head, gazed straight into Joel’s eyes, and brushed his hands up the sides of Joel’s legs before undoing the pants. 

For as slow and deliberate as Mike had been, his movements were now urgent as he lunged down and practically devoured Joel’s cock, ramming down almost as quickly as he had taken in the length. Joel teetered between the edge of consciousness and oblivion as Mike snaked back and forth, deliriously fast yet painfully slow at the same time, shuddering slightly when his gaze met Mike’s once he finally summoned the fortitude to reopen his eyes.

Just the sight of Mike coiled on the floor like an anaconda with their combined juices dripping down the sides of his mouth was nearly enough to send Joel soaring into transcendence, but then Joel inadvertently untethered the beast within.

Instinctively, he placed a hand on the back of Mike’s head for control rather than force, as there was no need to hasten the exquisite agony. 

But then Mike moaned at the contact, shivering as his cheeks flushed. The blended sound and motion sent electric pulses surging up Joel’s spine, throughout his mind, and back down through his body until they were trapped between his legs. 

Joel slid the palm of his hand to the top of Mike’s forehead and pushed back. If Mike kept up his pace, it would be over much too soon. “That’s enough.” 

Mike slid backwards, looking up at Joel questioningly. Joel leaned over and placed his hands on Mike’s sides, pulling up as much as the positions both of them in would allow. Mike got the hint and stood up. 

“Go over to the bed, then turn to face me.” The bed did not factor into Joel’s plans any, but now, something inside him wished to instill doubt in the other man, to deliver the coup de grace while Mike’s defenses were down. The order seemed to have the intended effect; as the expression on Mike’s face when he turned back around after reaching the back was a cross between confusion and uncertainty.

“I’m getting tired of that skirt. Take it off.”

The skirt fell forgotten to the floor when Mike complied. Mike reached down towards the garter belt, but froze when Joel spoke again.

“Everything else stays on.” Nope, Mike wasn’t getting his way this time. If the rest of the clothes were coming off, it would be on Joel’s terms. “Now get down on the floor.” 

As Mike crouched down onto the ground, Joel couldn’t help but notice that not only was it getting much easier to tell Mike exactly what to do, but his tone was firmer and steadier as he blossomed into the role. Then again, picturing what he wanted to happen next also helped quite a bit.

Joel pushed himself out of the chair and took a couple of steps forward. “Come over here. Right in front of me.”

It was then that Joel realized that he had been mistaken when he thought it couldn’t get any better than seeing Mike coiled on the floor, eagerly writhing back and forth as he worked himself into a frenzy, almost as if he were feeding off the cock hitting the back of his throat.

No, the sight of Mike now, down on all fours with his head tilted upwards, eyes glimmering with lust and obedience, was ultimate perfection. Any articles of clothing that may or may not have been present faded away at the image of the man crawling towards him, the storm of desire swirling in those seagreen eyes as he moved forward; his wanton expression indicating he would not only do absolutely any salacious thing that was commanded, but would downright beg for it. 

It wasn’t necessarily the appearance of the man on the floor that threatened to annihilate Joel; rather, it was the gesture of total and complete surrender. 

Exactly who was dominating whom?

Once Mike was kneeling before him, Joel leaned over and placed his hands on the sides of Mike’s arms before pulling gently. Obediently, Mike slowly rose, the confused expression from before spreading further across his face.

Then came the sudden impulse, like a beam of light shining instantaneously, that prompted Joel to step away and place a hand on Mike’s back before shoving him down over the chair. Gasping in shock at the sudden motion, Mike threw out his arms to catch himself before turning his head to look back at Joel.

The look in Mike’s eyes now reflected bewilderment, confusion…and fear.

_Perfect._

Mike screamed as Joel brought his hand down on his already-sore ass, then twisted around to look at him with the vaguest hint of distress darting across his eyes. 

“What are you doing?!” Mike’s tone was the first hint that perhaps he had triggered more than he was bargaining for.

“Making absolutely sure you never disobey me again.” And with that, the hand came down several more times in the exact same spot. 

The adrenaline surged throughout Joel as he continued swinging, moving his hand to different areas as he judged which spot got which reaction; pausing momentarily every now and then before resuming the punishment with greater force. Mike now whimpered helplessly below him, squirming when Joel began paying greater attention to _that_ spot, over and over, the one that expanded the growing wet spot on the briefs he still wore.

The low, drawn-out moan from Mike once Joel pulled himself away unnerved him, and he told himself that he really _had_ gone too far. Mike had never told him to stop, and he probably would have were he uncomfortable and scared, but…

Whatever the case, they _really_ needed to discuss their limits and whatnot. But that was a discussion for another time, especially when Mike turned around again, barely able to move through the endorphin-fueled spasms reverberating throughout him.

“Please…” Mike’s voice was breaking, barely audible in the sudden deafening silence of the room. “Please, sir…”

“You like that?” Joel inquired, both out of genuine curiosity and depraved amusement.

“Yes, sir,” came the weak reply.

“Like it when I take whatever I want? Like it when I beat you? Like it when I use you like a little whore?” Joel Robinson would be horrified by the things coming out of his mouth now, but the real Joel Robinson had slipped into dormancy, and the beast within had full control.

And the beast wanted to toy with Mike, like a child ripping the wings off of a butterfly. 

“Yes!” Mike squealed pathetically, his legs now trembling from sensory overload. Suddenly, Mike finally found his voice, and was now louder and much more assertive than he had been at any point since both men initially met. _“I LOVE IT WHEN YOU FUCKING USE ME!!”_

It was then that, even though Joel had not yet come, the beast within had its own orgasm. Somehow, Mike’s words managed to make Joel come without actually doing so, and spurred him to do the same for Mike. 

“Mmm…good boy. I think you deserve a reward for being so honest.” Joel had absolutely no idea how the garter belt worked, but it didn’t matter at this point. Instead, he slid the briefs to one side, allowing Mike’s cock to spring free before he reached for the long-forgotten tie. 

He then wrapped the tie around the base of Mike’s shaft, silken side against Mike’s skin, and maneuvered the ends so that both were in the palm of his left hand before he _pulled._

The movement only lasted for a few seconds before Joel released the pressure, but it was enough to elicit an inhuman shriek from the other man as he pulled at the arm of the chair, coming dangerously close to breaking it. 

Not only was Mike obviously teetering on the brink of nirvana, but it was clear that he was also incredibly desperate. Even during all their past encounters, Joel couldn’t remember ever seeing Mike like _this,_ so close to the edge that he was begging for release with not only his body, but his very soul.

And Joel was more than willing to oblige, returning one end of the tie to his other hand before sheathing the rest of Mike’s length with the material. He was far gentler this time as he tugged the material back and forth in his hands, thrilling in the quivering cries his motions elicited as Mike fell inside himself, further and further into oblivion until the spark ignited the cinders.

The cinders enkindled the furnace, searing Mike in the inferno as he came; clinging onto the arm of the chair for dear life as his body convulsed, trying desperately not to scream at the top of his lungs and barely succeeding. When time once again began to flow, Mike pushed back against the arm of the chair to slowly lower himself onto the floor before collapsing into a trembling heap.

Joel knelt down next to Mike and placed a hand on his shoulder, remaining silent for a few moments as he attempted to gauge the situation. “Are you okay?” he finally asked.

Mike nodded weakly. “I’d love to get you back, but you wore me out.”

“Well, you don’t necessarily have to, but there is something I’d like you to do for me. Can you stand up?”

“I think so,” Mike replied as he took the hand that Joel offered and allowed Joel to help him to his feet. He was still a little shaky after such an intense experience, but could at least focus enough to remain in place. 

“Turn around. I want you to bend all the way over and cross your arms over your legs.”

Joel was already hard enough for it to be painful, but the sight of Mike folded over, with his head down near his feet and the hands of his crossed arms gripping the opposite calves, made him hurt _so fucking good._

Now it was his turn to do exactly what he had been imagining since the very first moment that Mike had bent over the chair.

With one hand on the small of Mike’s back for balance, Joel jerked his cock frantically; staring intensely at the gesture of surrender in front of him for the few remaining strokes that he needed to come, gushing onto the briefs and the tops of the stockings.

The aftermath looked just as gorgeous as Joel had envisioned: like a Vargas pinup girl had inadvertently walked into a porno shoot. He couldn’t help but laugh. “God, you should see yourself.” Too bad he didn’t have a mirror in the room.

“I…can imagine.” Mike lifted his feet a few times, shifting his weight before standing up and accepting the towel Joel handed him. 

“You sure you’re okay?” By now, Joel was in the process of changing into his bathrobe in order to maintain some shred of decency to step outside. “I mean, I was really—”

“You kidding? I’m more than okay.” Mike threw the now-soiled towel onto the floor and began removing the rest of his clothing. “I would have said something if I wasn’t.” 

“Yeah, we need to talk about that. I’m getting some water. You want any?”

“Yeah, please.” Now freed of the confines of the material, Mike took a few steps forward and allowed himself to flop onto the bed. 

“All right. I’ll be back.” With that, Joel unlocked the door and headed out, blithely nonchalant about the disheveled scene he left behind, not to mention the naked man on his bed.

The water would have to wait. Mike was already asleep before Joel came back.  
***  
It wasn’t that Joel and Mike had crossed any thresholds that night. It was that they had come to an understanding. 

It wasn’t so much a power exchange as it was a mutual transaction; both of them giving to and taking from one another what each needed. 

Joel didn’t just desire the control, he _craved_ it—his will obeyed without question, the trust being placed in him, and the power he never knew he had. He also craved the yelps, whimpers, and moans he could elicit from Mike as he brought him close to his breaking point, along with the quivers and trembles as Mike left one world and entered the next.

Joel had since learned that the only way to stop fearing the beast within was to yield to it, because one only fears that which they do not understand. He couldn’t control it and probably would never be able to, but he was at least learning to accept it.

By this point, there had been several discussions about limits. There was now a safeword, and although Mike had never used it, its existence alleviated Joel’s fears that he could be going too far at any time.

Shortly after beginning their journey, Joel had asked Mike why he wanted to submit. It took Mike three days to put it into words, but Joel would never forget them.

For Mike, relinquishing control wasn’t just enticing, but also liberating. For him, paradoxical as it sounded, there was freedom in submission. Mike also found it incredibly arousing to be _wanted,_ the object of desire, which stoked his own carnal yearnings in return.

In other words, the hand that inflicted the pain also healed the preexisting trauma as well. 

Sometimes, Joel couldn’t help thinking that Mike had the better part of the deal. Through their barely-spoken and unwritten covenant, he was able to achieve absolute freedom through consummate surrender, to soar to untold heights by entrusting his fate to another. 

But then he would think of the white-hot exhilaration that coursed through his veins whenever he let the beast out of its cage, and always concluded that it was truly a symbiotic relationship.  
***  
Life on the SOL meant the utterance of phrases that Joel never thought any human would ever need to use. “Where are you going with that fire pit?”

“It’s for a sketch,” Gypsy replied as she and Crow paused mid-fire pit transport.

“I’m not so sure I like that idea,” Mike said as he walked into the room. “Speaking of, where did you even get—no, forget it. On second thought, I don’t want to know.”

“Hmm,” Crow muttered. “There goes our sketch idea. So now what?”

Tom saw an opportunity to butt into the conversation. “We could always tie up Mike again.”

“Yeah!” Gypsy interjected. “And this time we tickle him!”

“Then cover him in chocolate pudding!” Crow suggested.

Gypsy was getting far too excited by the hypothetical situation. “Yeah, and then we shove an apple in his mouth before pouring a bucket of peanut oil over his head and—“ 

_“Roundabout!”_ Mike shrieked, throwing up his arms before running out of the room screaming. _“Roundabout! ROUNDABOUT!!”_

Joel turned away from the ‘bots and shoved both hands over his mouth, desperately trying not to laugh. That was the first time in six months he had heard the safeword.

“What’s with him?” Tom asked in confusion, staring at the spot where Mike had been standing.

Joel removed his hands from his mouth and took a deep breath. “I guess you’ll have to come up with another idea. Besides, it’s not nice to waterboard people. We don’t do that in polite company.”

“Aww, why not?” Crow inquired.

“Because—” Joel stopped when he saw Gypsy produce a Ziploc bag full of double ended snap hooks. “Where did you get those?”

The bag fell out of Gypsy’s mouth onto the floor when she opened her mouth to reply. “There’s a whole bin of them up by the main controls. Why?”

“I can use those for something.” The beauty of that statement was he could use them for absolutely anything, and she didn’t need to know that he had more devious intentions for the parts. They would go nicely with the steel straight link chains.

“Oh, another invention?” she asked.

“Something like that.” Joel then left the room with the intent of finding what Gypsy had been referring to, but stopped when he saw Mike in the hallway.

He then sidled over to Mike’s side before leaning over and whispering in his ear. 

“Come to my room after we get the ‘bots in bed. I have a new invention I want to try.”

Mike beamed as his eyes narrowed knowingly, and he lowered his voice to the same tone. “Yes, sir.”

The so-called experts were all wrong. The spice of life did not come from spontaneity. It was so much sweeter if you threw a few cinders on the fire first, then allowed it to spread in the furnace and grow larger and larger, hot enough to melt molten steel by the time night fell.

What a lovely way to burn.

**Author's Note:**

> For yearofmeteors, who gave me the prompt "Joike spanking." I initially had a hard time with this and it required suspension of disbelief because, let's face it, these two are vanilla af. But then I watched a few Joel episodes where he does the villain persona and it got me thinking, and I decided to run with it. Especially when he starts using THAT tone of voice. Ooh. 
> 
> One of the reasons this took me so long to write is because I didn't know much about the Dom/me point of view in D/s relationships and I needed to do a ton of research. But through that and writing this, I think I finally understand the mindset there. There were some parts in this that were like an epiphany to me as I was writing. Not only did I end up learning a lot about the topic, but I think I learned a lot about myself as well.
> 
> As for the safeword, I decided to use the most ridiculous word I could come up with at the time, and "roundabout" was it.


End file.
